Guardianship
by Lantern High
Summary: HS AU: When Hal originally met Aya, he wasn't expecting to become her guardian. Or in other words, how Salaak is nice when no one is looking.


There was a little girl staring at him.

The tall man awkwardly juggled his ice-cream cone in one hand as he attempted to ignore the piercing stare. The girl wasn't actually all that young, either late middle-school or early high-school age, with short silver hair. He bet that she would actually look cute for her age if she cleaned up a little.

For now, there was a twig and leaves sticking up out of her hair like a birds nest. In fact, if he looked hard enough, he could see the outline of a small little bird chirruping…

It made sense, though, they were in a small little park, with trees, bushes, a small ice-cream vendor man… Perfect for teens who liked to stare, stare at him. Creepily. Why was she staring? And did she know about her hair?

The man slapped his face, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Get ahold of yourself Hal. You are here to meet Carol. Not to pick up strays."

The child was still staring at him with huge baby blue eyes, like she was expecting something to happen. Hal surreptitiously snuck a glance around himself- there had to be a cat nearby, never mind the fact that if there was, the young teen would probably be getting closer-

When had she moved until she was practically sitting on the same bench as him?!

"Uhhh, hi!"

"Greetings." The oddly formal word was given back to him, and Hal felt the easing of panic. As a teacher, he had a good handle on ages. She was going to be a freshman in high school when it started in another three or four weeks or so. He could handle this.

"Sooo- uhhh- what's your name?" When in doubt, revert to teacher mode!

"Aya."

"Aya? That's a pretty name." Hal smiled softly, and she nodded back, still looking faintly ridiculous with twigs and leaves stuck in her hair. He glanced around quickly, but Carol was still nowhere to be seen.

So he turned back to Aya, questioning, "Are you here waiting for someone?"

The girl paused, eyes becoming distant for a second, as if accessing databases. "Negative. I saw the animal referred to as a tiger, and followed it here. Since then I have been attempting to regain bearings."

Hal blinked, taking only a half-second to understand what Aya was saying. He grinned easily, "So you're lost then? You're in League Park. If you go down that road over there, you'll hit Justice High."

Aya's head turned in the direction he was pointing, and her lips moved slightly as if calculating the distance she was from home. At last she turned to him, and Hal held his breath- she nodded sharply, "Conclusion is that I am lost."

Hal groaned, face hitting the palm of his hand. The forgotten ice cream trickled down the cone, onto his hand, and Hal groped blindly for the napkins. One was thrust into his hand. "Thank you."

Hal spent a few seconds trying to clean himself up, and rescue his ice-cream, before sadly giving both up as a lost cause. He binned the ice-cream and the used napkin, feeling the sticky sweetness cling to his fingers.

A giant hand descended upon his shoulder, "Yo, Jordan!"

"Kilowog, what are you doing here?"

"Came out to enjoy the sunlight, and get Salaak off my back. What about yourself poozer?"

The chief administrator was already beginning to do his pre-school checks? No wonder why Carol was late, the tall, fussy man must've caught her at the last second. They were expecting an influx of new students, and Salaak was doing his best to make the school look respectable.

So, Carol would not be meeting him today. "Well, I was waiting for Carol, but I guess we're not meeting up today."

Kilowog laughed loudly at that, barrel chest booming with noise. The small teen perched on the bench watched them both with analyzing eyes. "Anyways, I was just talking to Aya here."

"Aya huh? Is that her real name, or another nickname you came up with?"

"It's what she said!" Hal protested, heading towards the girl still staring at them intently, "She's lost."

"Whoa there Jordan, isn't she a little young? Oh wait, I remember now... All the girls in your class like to crush on you."

"I- What are you- No! They do not! Don't go there Kilowog!" Hal shook off the coach as he walked closer to Aya, smiling at her, "Aya, where do you live? I think I can probably find your pla-"

"Excuse me, but what was it that you just threw away?" Aya, Hal realized, wasn't staring at him, but the trashcan that Hal just so happened to be blocking.

"Wha- the ice-cream? Haven't you ever had ice-cream before?"

"Negative. Is it considered good?"

Hal nodded, and beckoned to her, "Here, I'll buy you one. You're not lactose intolerant, are you?"

"Negative."

"Good, then prepare to eat the most delicious treat you have ever tasted, my treat. Never had ice-cream before, who hasn't had ice-cream?"

"You're asking the wrong guy Hal." Kilowog watched as the girl with the birds nest for hair trotted past him, following after Hal like an obedient puppy. "What I wanna know is how he always manages to pick up the girls?"

Hal ignored him easily through long practice. The small little ice-cream vendor looked up with a surprised smile. Eyebrows disappeared into the graying hair-line as he spotted Aya trailing after him. "Really Jordan? Isn't she a little young?"

"Why does everyone think that I'm picking her up? She's never had ice-cream, so I came to buy her some." Hal whined, leaning against the cool metal, head cocking towards Aya. "What flavor looks good?"

Aya stared at the ten flavors neatly printed across the small cart, and looked back up. "What is the most popular flavor?"

"Chocolate."

"Vanilla."

"Strawberry." All three men chimed, at once.

Kilowog glowered at Hal. "Chocolate? Really?"

"At least I'm not the idiot who said strawberry. You know very well that nobody except you likes the flavor." Hal sniped back.

The old vendor shook his head, "Go with vanilla, and expand from there. It's always better that way."

"Very well then, I would like one vanilla."

"Cone or cup?"

"Cone!"

"Cup!"

Hal and Kilowog glowered at each other, as the ice-cream vendor leaned over, looking her in the eyes. "You can eat the cone, but the cup is less messy."

"Oh. Is the cone considered delicious as well?"

"Usually. Get a cone, you can try it out. Might as well try while you don't have to pay for it." The ice-cream vendor suggested, ignoring the two arguing idiots over on the side.

Aya nodded, "That sounds like the most efficient way of eating ice cream."

"You don't eat it girl, you lick it if it's on a cone."

A smooth vanilla ice-cream scoop atop the thin brown cone was passed over. Aya took it cautiously, staring at the ice-cream for a long second. The three men unconsciously held their breath.

A small tongue cautiously licked, and a small, tiny smile appeared on her face. "Ah, it is good."

"See! I told you so." Hal smiled proudly as he slapped Aya's back.

"Careful there Hal, or Carol might think you want kids." Kilowog grumbled back, sulking.

Hal rolled his eyes as he looked at Aya in her dirty clothing and messy hair, eagerly making the ice-cream vanish. "Aya, where do you live? I can get you back to the general area."

Aya looked back up with perhaps the blankest look he had ever seen. "I live down Oa road."

Oa? That was a rich-person neighborhood. It was also where the 'Guardians' lived, otherwise known as the board of directors. Hal winced. He couldn't really bring Aya back to her place looking like this.

Hal reached out to brush a few twigs from out of her hair, and was rewarded with a confused look. "Is my hair unacceptable?"

"I- I wouldn't say that. It's a little messy, but nothing a quick trip to the bathroom won't fix." Hal patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll clean up just fine."

He stepped forward in time to miss the slightest stain of red on her cheeks, "C'mon, we'll drop off at my place first and get some of those leaves out of your hair."

Aya nodded quietly, still licking at her ice-cream as she followed after him. Kilowog shook his head as he trotted after them both- "I don't believe it. Only Hal Jordan. Only Hal Jordan."

* * *

It took three hours to get to the house. Kilowog was counting. He was counting because someone had to keep the two idiots on track. It was like watching a father and his favorite daughter out for a trip together because the two managed to distract each other at every turn.

Aya would ask Hal what something was, and not only would Hal tell her, but he would also let her try it out. This meant that they had gotten distracted, wildly distracted, ranging all across the city, with Kilowog attempting to reel them in back to the house.

"Hal. I know you and your kid there are having fun, but unless you happened to of noticed, the girls parents have got to be getting frantic by now."

Hal looked to Aya, and Aya shrugged, "Insufficient evidence to make a hypothesis as to their actions."

"That sounds like they'd be at least a little worried. C'mon, let's get you home."

Hal smiled at Aya, and Aya nodded, quickly falling into place beside him, with a huge, tacky sunhat that Kilowog did not want to remember how exactly they got that hat (it involved pigeons. Lots and lots of pigeons. And an old lady. With a cane. He was gonna have bruises for a week.)

"We'll drop off by my place for just a few minutes to get you fully cleaned up and then we'll get you to Oa road." Hal promised, turning right at the corner, and stopping in front of a small apartment building. It wasn't ostentatious, nor was it breaking down and crumbling. Just an average apartment building, with average tenets, with-

"Oh look, it's the moron. He's back again." The long drawl was echoed by the half-angry glare from the man sitting out on the front stoop, looking all for the world like he owned the entire building, a still smoking cigarette dangling in-between two fingers.

"Sinestro." Hal greeted warily, angling his body between the man and the teen beside him. "What are you doing back so early? I thought that you were going to be gone all summer."

Aya peeked out from around Hal to regard the man with the tiny moustache. "Me?" Sinestro glared at Hal, "You haven't gotten the message, have you?"

"What message?"

"Salaak changed all of our classroom assignments. I am no longer teaching in Building 4, Room 227, but now in Building 3, Room 105. One of our buildings was finally condemned so we are all being reshuffled into something that the idiot insists is organized."

Sinestro huffed, scowling darkly. "I was forced to cut my activities short and go rescue my classroom items."

"Salaak didn't automatically clear it out?"

"Only that which is registered to the school, and proceeded to take glee in informing me that unless I rescued my items within the next forty-eight hours, they would be destroyed with the building."

That was Salaak alright, doing his best to annoy everyone by using the rules. "Yeah, well, I have a few more errands to run-"

Hal barely ducked the cigarette butt that was lazily flicked at him as Sinestro pulled himself to his full height. "Hey, watch it Sinestro."

The man smirked as he leaned forward, "You going to make me Jordan?"

Hal nearly punched him, but barely restrained himself. "Not today. Come on Aya."

Hal quickly guided the girl inside, missing the burning fire that abruptly leapt into Sinestro's eyes. "What's this, Jordan? Another girl with a cru-"

The man would never, ever admit it out loud to anyone other than perhaps John over a drink, but it felt really, _really_ good to slam the door in Sinestro's face. Kilowogs deep, air-shaking laughter made it all the sweeter.

"I live up on the top floor, so we'll grab the elevator as we head on up." Hal said quietly, guiding Aya further in. There were only five floors to the building, so it wasn't exactly a penthouse type of place.

Aya looked around with curiosity as the elevator doors whooshed open, to shiny metal walls. The teen peered at herself closely in the reflective material, tugging a few clumps of hair further down.

Hal smiled at her, and she smiled back as the doors whooshed back open to the fifth floor and standing there was- "Ah, Salaak. Greetings."

Jordan went stiff at the sight of the tall, gangly man standing in front of his apartment, filling out several pages worth of paperwork. "Ah, Jordan. I see you really did find Aya. I had the suspicion that you might."

The dry, accusatory tone made him bristle slightly. "Salaak, what are you doing here?"

"I am here to make sure that the ward of Ganthet is properly returned to her home." Salaak tucked the paperwork under one arm, unfolding to his full height. "I know you Jordan, and your propensity to pick up strays. Sinestro is example enough of that little personality quirk, so I waited here."

Say whatever you wanted too about Salaak, but he was one efficient man. "I just wanted to get the dirt out of her hair."

Salaak stared at him for a moment, and looked at his watch. "Five minutes Jordan."

* * *

Aya finished pulling the clumps of dried dirt and the last leaf out of her hair, listening to the tap run water, and trying very hard not to eavesdrop on Salaak and Jordan's conversation taking place only a short few meters away.

"She's been home-schooled this entire time? But I mean, hasn't she made any friends?"

"The board was far more concerned with her education, as it seems that she may be one of the most intelligent people in the entire country." Salaak, as ever, spoke dispassionately. "Ganthet and Sayd have been lobbying the other directors to allow her to at least go to high school for a year before sending her to college to allow her to adjust to society niceties."

Aya cast a slightly startled look at the thin wall. She had never heard of this.

"However, due to legal problems, she cannot stay a ward of a member of the board of directors, and still attend high school at Lantern High, but neither will the Board consider alternative schools despite heavy research on my part."

She hadn't heard this part either. Salaak had been researching for her?

"That isn't right! Surely someone could-"

"No Jordan." Salaak attempted to cut him off, "The amount of paperwork required to transfer her to another guardian takes at least a month, and first someone has to be willing, with a stable income, and a stable home. Moreover, to have the Board approve it would be nearly impossible."

"It just doesn't seem right, that nobody gets to see that pretty smile of hers. Don't give me that look Salaak."

"Smile? She's been smiling?"

"Yep. I could be her guardian if we didn't know that the Board didn't hate my guts. Carol wouldn't mind I don't think."

Salaak didn't make a noise, and Aya turned off the tap water, emerging from the bathroom. "I am ready to go."

"Good. Then let's go. I brought along a car. It's probably been stolen by now."

Hal smiled at her, and she couldn't help smiling back. She had been doing a lot of smiling today, an odd facial expression that was slowly exercising long unused muscles. "Goodbye Mr. Jordan. It was good to meet you."

"Yeah Aya, if you ever want to come around again, feel free to do so."

Aya and Salaak walked out the door, and no sooner had they boarded the elevator, when Salaak spoke. "You heard us, didn't you?"

"I did."

"And your opinion on Jordan?"

"Mister Jordan is a good man. I had a lot of fun today." Aya replied instantly, not even having to think about it. "I would like to visit again, if it can be arranged. I have been promised more ice-cream."

Salaak stared at the wall, but his eyes were calculating and sharp. Aya ran different scenarios of what he could be thinking about, the route home running a high 80 percent, and any other information running only two to three percent.

"Watch then as I drive back. If you wish to visit Jordan, it will have to be on your own time." Salaak said at last, as the elevator doors whooshed open to the first floor.

Mister Sinestro and Mister Kilowog were not outside, and Salaak's small car was sitting at the curb where he had presumably parked it.

Aya watched the passing streets as Salaak drove, memorizing each and every street name. "Mister Jordan is familiar to you Mister Salaak?"

"Yes, he's a teacher at Lantern High."

"Then you know who Carol is, correct?"

"His girlfriend, and fellow teacher."

"Lantern High is considered an acceptable school?"

"Correct."

"Then I would like to attend Lantern High."

Salaak didn't say anything to that, flicking the turn signal on exactly 15 meters away from the corner, and slowing down as they turned onto Oa road. Aya stared up at the huge penthouse that her guardians lived within, all shiny and bright, while hiding the dark emptiness within.

Salaak climbed out of the car as Aya remained sitting. I don't want to go in there. It was a terrible thought, but she didn't. She wanted to go back to the small, cozy apartment that was Hal Jordan's place.

Which didn't compute. Aya had spent roughly four hours with the man, not nearly enough time to truly get to know the man.

Well, she had the road to Hal Jordan's Apartment memorized. She could easily visit him, and he had extended his invitation. "Salaak, I need to speak with Ganthet about arranging free time."

"According to his schedule, Ganthet and Sayd should be in the study room." Salaak watched her walk up to the door, but didn't follow her.

Aya turned to him with a confused look. "Are you not coming along?"

"No, I have paperwork to file. I will be disappointed if it falls through." Salaak's scowl grew a little deeper, "Very disappointed. Tell the Board hello for me please."

"I will."

Aya turned back to the emptily large house.

* * *

One month.

Aya slowly dragged her feet as she approached her current guardian's house, head hanging.

It was Monday, the last day of Summer Break before school started Tuesday. Every ounce of free time she could have, Aya had gone to Hal's small little apartment every day, including one memorable time when she arrived at midnight.

Carol Ferris had been there as well, but she seemed rather indulgent of Aya appearing at random hours. And she met a boy named Walker on one of the visits around the city, along with his friend Arkillo.

Everyone Jordan introduced her too was very interesting, it was new and exciting, and now at nine in the evening she was headed back to the house because tomorrow school would start. She wouldn't get to hang out with anyone.

Aya was going to be alone- "Aya. Here. Take a look over this paperwork, and talk it over with Hal. If you two agree, then sign it and take it to the table in the main dining hall, a member of the Board shall pick it up. They will handle all matters from there. Your suitcase, if needed, shall be sitting in the front hallway."

The instructions, crisp and clean, momentarily caught her off guard as a thick manilla envelope rubber-banded together was dropped into her arms. Salaak regarded her for a second, before cryptically saying, "Good luck."

"Why would I need luck?"

Salaak had already turned away and was halfway down the street by the time the question was fully out, and he didn't turn to answer. Aya regarded the files for a moment, before making her way to the closest street light, despite the fact that it was still actually a little light out, and pulled open the envelope.

The crisp smell of new paper, and freshly dried ink wafted up. It was all ignored by the teen, whose eyes locked on the bold printed words on top.

**TRANSFERENCE OF WARD TO GUARDIAN**

Aya snapped the file closed, turned on her heel, and _ran_ back the way she had come, clutching the file to her chest. Startled pedestrians squawked in surprise, as hair and clothes flew back in self-made wind, until Hal's apartment came into view.

Technically, the elevator was faster when walking. But by running, she would be five point three seconds faster, and she needed to talk to Hal now.

Within two minutes, she was knocking on Hal's door. There was a confused yell within, and the door swung open. "Aya- what are-"

Aya thrust the papers into Hal's face, and Hal scrambled for a second, attempting to open it and not drop it simultaneously. He went still as his eyes scanned the first page, mouth forming a small 'o'.

"Aya, is this- how did you get this? Have you been-"

"No. I was given them." Aya looked anxiously at him, the foreign feeling of fear gripping her stomach. Nonetheless she shouldered on. "Will you?"

Hal closed the folders. "Do you? What do you want Aya?"

Aya wanted to attend school. She wanted to know more about the world, and see what existed beyond Oa street.

Aya wanted to make friends.

"I want to make friends Mr. Jordan."

"Then I'll sign it." He smiled at her, gently as if he would his real daughter, and Aya's lips curved upwards in response.

Hal retreated into the living room to where the small table and what looked like two beers sat. Both beers had been crumpled, and there was another person in the room- another male. "What is it now Jordan? Can't a man drink in peace?"

Sinestro. She had thought that the two of them were enemies, not allies. "Shush Sinestro, I'm about to become a guardian."

"Heavens help the poor child." Sinestro drawled, "I guess that means that weekly poker night can no longer be held at your place and once again we will have to move to Gardner's place."

Hal looked to Aya, and shrugged, "We'll see."

"The joys of parenthood." Sinestro sneered, but Aya could swear she heard the slightest tinge of sadness in that voice. "I'm leaving before it gets anymore sappy."

Hal made a noise as he began to carefully sign the papers, quickly scanning each page.

"Aya Jordan."

_Perfect._

* * *

Salaak hid a yawn behind one hand as the Board yelled and screamed at each other, fighting over who had just lost Aya to the _insufferable_ Jordan. Technically, Ganthet was her guardian, but as Sayd pointed out, they had all signed the papers.

It wasn't the closest he had ever seen the Board at tearing each others throats out, but it was close, and lucky him, he got to be here for it. Such fights actually happened on a semi-regular basis.

The teachers all wondered why he was always so grumpy- between being the administration, running all the paperwork for the guardians, and then listening to them fight, Salaak figured he had enough reason to be grumpy. With his little side project that he had juggled for the past month, he had every reason to be exhausted.

Either way, it was nearing two in the morning, and unlike the Board, he actually had work to do in the morning. His head dipped and nodded, as he slowly leaned back against the wall. Aya was at Jordan's place, with Salaak's perfectly packed suitcase. The Board could do nothing.

Salaak had the feeling that the next four years of school were going to be interesting.

He eased into dreamland, missing Ganthet's sharp eyes on him, and Sayd's slight smile as she tucked a blanket in around him, removing the pen from where his hand where he had been attempting to fill out paperwork.

The two Guardians pulled up chairs, blocking their loyal Salaak from view of the other guardians before they could make any connections.

If they hadn't wanted this to happen, then perhaps the Board should've bought the touch screen monitors that Salaak had requested. He had a very odd way of striking back.

-end-


End file.
